Senior sports writer for The Age

Steve Johnson has been offered a one-match ban for this incident with Nathan Jones. Photo: Fox Footy

Geelong coach Chris Scott has declared that neither the Cats nor their often-suspended star Steve Johnson are in denial about the need to adjust his game, and said that no consideration had been given to internal disciplinary measures despite Johnson incurring a third suspension for 2013 and fourth in his past 13 games.

Scott said Johnson had not been asked to front the club's leadership group - of which he is a member - and that the Cats didn't fine their players or treat them like schoolchildren. He said Johnson was more aware than anyone of what was required of him, and had made a commitment to eliminate from his game the sort of play that saw him outed for one week for kneeing Nathan Jones.

"They don't 'sit him down', we're not as school here," Scott said on Wednesday. "He doesn't need to go to the principal's office.

"We all sit down regularly, every single day at the footy club, and talk about the issues as adults, we treat them as professional athletes. They're across it, he's across it, it's a very mature discussion.

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"Any discussion that he gets hauled into the office and berated by the leadership group and the coach is so far off the mark it's not funny."

Carlton fined Jarrad Waite after the key forward copped a week for headbutting Demon Tom MacDonald in round six - he subsequently missed the narrow, upset loss to St Kilda - but Scott said additional punishment for Johnson had never been considered.

"Fine system? He's a 30-year-old professional athlete who's shown his commitment to his club over a long period of time. We don't fine players, we don't treat them like kids."

Scott said the message to Johnson was no sterner than before, and that he didn't need media commentators "to reinforce how silly he's been". He described the Jones incident as another case of overstepping a fine line that isn't well understood by football critics and watchers.

"He will need to adjust, there's no question of that. We're not in denial, he's not in denial. He'll take the week off and come back hopefully a better player.

"No, the message has been similar. But there needs to be an understanding - and this is not a defence of Steve in any way, shape or form - footy's a fine line. There is a very poor understanding of that out there in the football community.

"Of course it was (another small overstepping of the line), but we can't ignore the fact that there have been several small oversteppings of the mark. We've got to face up to reality, and so does Steve. But again, no-one's more acutely aware of that than Steve."

Johnson now has 71 demerit points hanging over him and his poor record would result in a 30 percent loading being applied to any additional points if he is charged again this season. Scott reiterated that he believes there are flaws in the system, but said Johnson's situation was a concern.

"But it's the same concern that it was before this one as well. I don't think that changes this situation at all. It's a serious penalty that he has hanging over his head."